The role of motivation between perceived teacher support and student engagement in science class

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to investigate the relationships among the middle school students’ perceptions of science teacher support, students’ motivation and students’ engagement in learning science. Student motivation was addressed with task value and academic self-concept while student engagement included aspects of agentic, behavioural, emotional and cognitive engagement. In the study, survey method was used and the data were collected though previously validated self-report questionnaires. Valid data were obtained from 1006 middle school students enrolled in one of the nine public schools in Turkey. The path analysis revealed that perceived science teacher’s support positively predicted students’ task value and academic self-concept in science. Furthermore, students who reported high levels of task value and academic self-concept showed higher levels of engagement in science. Accordingly, it seems important for science teachers to listen to the students, behave fairly and help them to solve their problems in order to motivate them for learning science and increase their engagement in science class.

KEYWORDS:

• Teacher support
• task value
• self-concept
• student engagement
• science education

Acknowledgments

A short version of this study was presented in International Conference on Research in Education and Science (ICRES) in Kuşadası, Turkey, in 2017.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Ataturk University Scientific Research Projects (BAP) [PRJ2016/298].

Notes on contributors

Yasemin Tas

Yasemin Tas is an assistant professor doctor in the Department of Mathematics and Science Education at Ataturk University. She received her MS (2008) in Science and Mathematics Education and PhD (2013) in Elementary Education from Middle East Technical University. Her main research interests are student engagement, motivation, self-regulation and design-based science.

Münevver Subaşı

Münevver Subaşı is a PhD student at Atatürk University and a research assistant at Bartın University. Her main research interests are gifted students and students’ motivation in science.

Sündüs Yerdelen

Sündüs Yerdelen is an assistant professor doctor in the Department of Mathematics and Science Education at Kafkas University. She received her PhD (2013) in Elementary Education from Middle East Technical University. Her main research interests are student motivation, self-regulation and design-based science.